Jackson child abuse trial

[4me2]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Jackson child abuse trial begins

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Michael Jackson has strenuously denied the 10 charges

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->Pop star Michael Jackson has gone on trial in California for child abuse.

Mr Jackson, 46, denies molesting a boy, plying him with alcohol and conspiring to kidnap him and his family.

Prosecutor Tom Sneddon told the court in Santa Maria the singer had shown the teenage cancer patient pornography and given him wine in order to seduce him.

Mr Jackson's lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, described the charges as "bogus" and said the boy and his mother had tried to extort money from other celebrities.

Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville ruled the boy at the centre of the allegations could be named, but most US media have not yet been doing so.

Trading accusations

Mr Sneddon told the jurors the singer's world has been "rocked" by a TV programme in which he said he did not see anything wrong with sharing a bed with a child.

The 2003 US airing of Martin Bashir's film "Living with Michael Jackson" sparked a media storm and the subsequent investigation into Mr Jackson's relationship with the boy, then 13.

The prosecutor said the negative reaction to the programme provided Mr Jackson's motivation to press the boy's family to make a video withdrawing all allegations of any sexual abuse.

<!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> A small group of fans gathered outside the courthouse

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"The Bashir documentary was like a moving landslide and if it wasn't stopped it would destroy everything in its path, including Michael Jackson," Mr Sneddon said.

The jurors also heard that the singer visited sexually explicit websites and showed the boy and his younger brother pornography.

The court was told the teenager would appear on the witness stand later in the trial and describe his sexual experiences with Mr Jackson.

The singer's lawyer said the charges were fake, silly and ridiculous.

"The best known celebrity and the most vulnerable celebrity became the mark," Mr Mesereau told the jurors in his opening remarks.

Mr Jackson's Neverland ranch "is not a lure for molestation, a magnet for crime - we will prove that in this case," he said.

Star witnesses

The singer arrived at the court wearing a black suit, gold-buttoned waistcoat and a red armband. He was accompanied for the first time by his mother Katherine and his brother Jermaine.

About 1,500 members of the media are in Santa Maria for the case, which could last up to six months.

<!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Mr Jackson's Neverland ranch is at the centre of the case

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Jury selection was completed on Thursday, with 12 jurors chosen from a pool of 4,000 candidates.

The trial was postponed for a week after a death in Mr Mesereau's family, and for a further seven days after Mr Jackson was taken to hospital with flu-like symptoms.

Mr Jackson's lawyers have said they intend to call more than 350 witnesses. Stars on the list include Elizabeth Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Eddie Murphy, Diana Ross, Macaulay Culkin, Smokey Robinson, David Blaine, Larry King, Jay Leno and Uri Geller. If convicted, Mr Jackson could face up to 21 years in prison.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4298485.stm

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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Jackson trial shown Bashir film

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Michael Jackson arrived at court with his mother, Katherine

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->The jurors at the trial of pop star Michael Jackson are watching a TV documentary at the heart of the case.

Journalist Martin Bashir has taken the stand as a prosecution witness on the second day of Mr Jackson's child abuse trial in Santa Maria, California.

Mr Jackson denies molesting a boy in 2003, giving him alcohol and conspiring to kidnap him and his family.

The 2003 US airing of Mr Bashir's film sparked the investigation into Mr Jackson's relationship with the boy.

In the Living with Michael Jackson documentary, the singer said he did not see anything wrong with sharing a bed with a child.

Rival theories

Earlier on Tuesday a lawyer for Mr Jackson told the jury that detectives searching the pop star's bedroom could find no genetic evidence that he had abused the alleged victim.

Thomas Mesereau said police found no DNA from the boy when they searched the room at Mr Jackson's Neverland ranch in California.

"The DNA isn't there because the molestation claims are fiction," Mr Mesereau said as he resumed his opening remarks.

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<!-- S ILIN -->Martin Bashir profile
<!-- E ILIN --><!-- S ILIN -->The opening statements
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In opening statements on Monday, Prosecutor Tom Sneddon told the court that Mr Jackson had showed the boy porn and plied him with wine, in order to molest him.

He said the singer had visited sexually explicit websites and showed the boy - who was 13 at the time - and his younger brother pornography at his ranch.

But the singer's lawyer depicted the alleged victim and his brother as troublemakers who sometimes read Mr Jackson's magazines and drank his alcohol without his permission.

"Mr Jackson will freely admit that he does read girlie magazines from time to time," Mr Mesereau said. "He absolutely does not show them to children."

The singer's lawyer also continued Monday's attack on the credibility of the boy's mother, when he described her as a money-grabbing con-artist.

If convicted, Mr Jackson could face up to 21 years in prison.

About 1,500 members of the media are in Santa Maria for the case, which could last up to six months.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4309151.stm

[4me2]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Defence fury at Jackson witness

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Defence lawyers said they may call Mr Bashir as a witness

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->The judge in the Michael Jackson trial is studying whether the prosecution's first witness is in contempt of court.

The defence protested after UK reporter Martin Bashir, whose documentary is at the heart of the case, refused to answer nearly all their questions.

Jurors saw the film, in which the star held hands with the alleged victim, on the second day of the trial in Santa Maria, California.

Mr Jackson denies 10 charges of child abuse and false imprisonment.

If convicted, he could face up to 21 years in prison.

The trial is set to resume Wednesday.

'Ticklish area'

The 2003 US airing of the documentary sparked the investigation into Mr Jackson's relationship with the boy.

In the Living with Michael Jackson documentary, the singer said he did not see anything wrong with sharing a bed with a child.

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<!-- S ILIN -->The opening statements
<!-- E ILIN --><!-- S ILIN -->Martin Bashir profile
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Mr Bashir took the stand as a prosecution witness.

Asked by Prosecutor Tom Sneddon about his career, Mr Bashir said he had worked for British television networks the BBC and ITV - and had once interviewed Princess Diana.

But, on the advice of his lawyers, he refused to answer virtually all the questions, citing a California "shield" law intended to allow journalists to protect their sources.

Defence lawyer Thomas Mesereau questioned the reporter's journalistic credibility and claimed he misrepresented the pop star in the documentary.

He said he intended to call Mr Bashir as a witness later in the trial, but the reporter's lawyers said they would fight any such attempt.

Judge Rodney Melville said he would consider the defence's claim that Mr Bashir's silence put him in contempt of court. "It's a real ticklish area," he said.

Mr Jackson was described as being agitated when Mr Bashir took the stand.

When asked how he felt at the end of the second day of evidence, the star replied "Good". He then added, "Angry".

Rival theories

Earlier on Tuesday a lawyer for Mr Jackson told the jury that detectives searching the pop star's bedroom could find no genetic evidence that he had abused the alleged victim.

Thomas Mesereau said police found no DNA from the boy when they searched the room at Mr Jackson's Neverland ranch in California.

<!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Mr Jackson's Neverland ranch is at the centre of the case

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"The DNA isn't there because the molestation claims are fiction," Mr Mesereau said as he resumed his opening remarks.

The singer's lawyer also continued Monday's attack on the credibility of the boy's mother, when he described her as a money-grabbing con-artist.

In his statement, Mr Mesereau used language that hinted Mr Jackson might testify in his own defence, but he stopped short of saying Mr Jackson would take the witness stand.

In the prosecution's opening statement on Monday, Mr Sneddon told the court that Mr Jackson had shown the boy porn and plied him with wine, in order to molest him.

He said the singer had visited sexually explicit websites and showed the boy - who was 13 at the time - and his younger brother pornography at his ranch.



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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4309151.stm

[4me2]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Jackson accuser's sister quizzed

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> The abuse is alleged to have taken place at Jackson's Californian ranch

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->The sister of the boy at the centre of Michael Jackson's child abuse trial in California is due back in court on Friday to give more evidence.

She will be cross-examined by defence lawyer Thomas Mesereau Jr on her allegations against Mr Jackson.

On Thursday, she told the court that she saw the pop star drinking alcohol with her brother, Gavin Arvizo, and two other boys at his Neverland ranch.

Mr Jackson, 46, denies 10 charges of child abuse and false imprisonment.

If convicted, he could face up to 21 years in prison.

Miami trip

Gavin Arvizo is alleged to have been sexually abused by Mr Jackson.

In Thursday's court session, his sister told the court of the time she spent with her family at the pop star's ranch after the broadcast of a damaging documentary about his private life.

She said her brothers spent most of their time away from her with Mr Jackson.

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On one occasion, she followed them into a wine cellar hidden behind a jukebox in a room full of toys, where she found her brothers drinking wine with the singer.

She claimed Gavin frequently appeared hyper-active and aloof after being with Mr Jackson.

"He didn't want to talk to me, he didn't want to be near me, he was distant," she said. "It felt weird. I just knew something."

She also told the court her family was whisked away to Miami when the documentary was broadcast in the US.

Later, she says, the family was coerced into making a video to rebut the documentary.

'Doll room'

Earlier on Thursday, the jury was shown footage of a police raid on the pop star's Neverland ranch in November 2003.

The search of the estate in the hills above Santa Barbara in California came in the early stages of the police investigation into the abuse claims.

The video included images of the singer's bedroom and two rooms filled with stuffed toys and dolls.

Prosecutors at the trial in Santa Maria have alleged the ranch housed a "private world" of alcohol and pornography.

However, the videotape of the police raid did not show any of the sexually explicit magazines that the prosecution has said were found on the premises.

The video was filmed by Santa Barbara county sheriff's department photographer Albert Lafferty, who talked the jury through its contents. It took the form of a tour of the Tudor-style mansion, including shots of a wood-panelled entrance hall, Mr Jackson's split-level master bedroom, and two rooms that investigators called the "doll room" and the "toy room". These contained dolls and figurines depicting characters such as Batman and Superman, the Star Wars robots and SpongeBob Squarepants.<!-- E BO -->


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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4319741.stm

[4me2]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Video of Jackson's accuser shown

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> The abuse is alleged to have taken place at Jackson's Californian ranch

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->The jury in Michael Jackson's child abuse trial has been shown a video in which the family of his accuser, Gavin Arvizo, call him a father figure.

The boy's mother Janet was also seen denouncing those who accused the pop star of molesting her son.

The prosecution alleges the family was coerced into making the tape, recorded in response to a controversial TV documentary that led to the charges.

Mr Jackson, 46, denies 10 charges of child abuse and false imprisonment.

If convicted, he could face up to 21 years in prison.

After the video was screened, Gavin's sister Davellin returned to the witness stand at the trial in California to give evidence for a second day.

She told prosecutor Tom Sneddon that she witnessed Mr Jackson "constantly hugging and kissing" her brother "on the cheek or the head".

She described how Gavin changed after spending time with Mr Jackson at his Neverland ranch.

"He didn't want to be hugged, he didn't want to be kissed," she said. "It just hurt because I'm his older sister."

On Thursday, she told the court that she saw the pop star drinking alcohol with Gavin and two other boys at the ranch.

'Beautiful'

The video shown in court on Friday was recorded on 19 and 20 February 2003, two weeks after the airing of Martin Bashir's film Living with Michael Jackson.

It showed Gavin, his mother, his sister and his younger brother.

In it, Janet Arvizo said: "Gavin was the one who asked him, 'Can I call you daddy?' and he said, 'Of course'."

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<!-- S ILIN -->The opening statements
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At another point, Gavin's brother Star said: "He actually seemed more fatherly than like our biological father."

Janet Arvizo was also seen to say that people alleging a sexual relationship between Mr Jackson and her son were "missing out on something very beautiful that they have tainted".

Gavin's sister Davellin alleged during her evidence on Thursday that the family had been coerced into making the video to rebut Mr Bashir's documentary.

Also in Thursday's court session, she told the court of the time she spent with her family at the Neverland ranch after the documentary had been screened. She said her brothers spent most of their time away from her with Mr Jackson. On one occasion, she followed them into a wine cellar hidden behind a jukebox in a room full of toys, where she found her brothers drinking wine with the singer.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4319741.stm

[4me2]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Boy's brother 'saw Jackson abuse'

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> The star watched impassively as he was accused of child abuse

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->The younger brother of the boy accusing Michael Jackson of abuse has told a US court that he twice saw the star molest his brother at his Neverland ranch.

Star Arvizo, 14, also said Mr Jackson plied him and his brother, Gavin, with alcohol, showed them pornography and walked around naked with an erection.

Mr Jackson denies 10 charges of child abuse and false imprisonment.

If convicted by the court in Santa Maria, California, he could face up to 21 years in prison.

As his trial entered its second week, Mr Jackson watched from the dock as Star Arvizo became the first key prosecution witness to reveal details of the alleged abuse.

The teenager said that at Neverland in February 2003 he discovered Mr Jackson fondling his brother, then aged 13, while lying on a bed.

<!-- S IBOX --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5></TD><TD class=sibtbg> Michael told us not to tell no-one what we did - not to tell our parents what we did


Star Arvizo, accuser's brother

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"I saw Michael's left hand in my brother's underwear and his right hand in his own underwear," the boy told the court.

"He [Jackson] was masturbating. He was rubbing himself. He had his hand in his pants and he was stroking up and down."

Star added: "He (Jackson) had his eyes closed.

"I didn't know what to do. I went back to my guest room."

Star, who been welcomed to Neverland with his family while his brother recovered from cancer, told the court he discovered a similar scene two days later.

'Jesus juice'

In earlier testimony, he alleged that Mr Jackson showed the brothers pornographic websites as the singer's young sons slept nearby, and gave them wine in soft drink cans which he dubbed "Jesus juice".

Covers of pornographic magazines - including one called Barely Legal - were projected onto a screen in the courtroom as Star alleged that Mr Jackson showed off a collection of magazines he kept in a suitcase.

He also said the singer whispered into the ear of his sleeping son as he showed the boys a pornographic website: "You're missing some ..." using a vulgar term for female anatomy.

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Mr Jackson once walked in front of the boys naked as they watched a movie at Neverland, Star alleged.

He told the court that Mr Jackson "had a hard-on", a fact that "grossed out" the two boys.

But the singer allegedly laughed the incident off, describing it as "natural".

Despite this, Star said, the boys were urged not to talk about Mr Jackson's behaviour.

"Michael told us not to tell no one what we did - not to tell our parents what we did."

He also described how his brother acted "strange" after drinking from a can Star suspected was filled with alcoholic drink.

"He [Gavin] wasn't acting right, he was acting funny. I saw the brim... of his 7-Up can... 7-Up is clear and I saw red on the can," Star said.

Children 'safe'

Earlier on Monday, Mr Jackson's lawyers questioned Star and Gavin's sister, Davellin, 18, looking for discrepancies to weaken her testimony.

The jury first heard an audio tape, recorded by a private investigator working for Mr Jackson, in which the accuser's family praised the singer, saying he took them in after years of abuse by her mother's ex-husband.

"We had been neglected, rejected, spat on... Michael took us from the line," Gavin's mother, Janet Arvizo, said on the tape, adding she felt her children were "safe" at Neverland.

Davellin Arvizo broke down on the witness stand as she could be heard praising Mr Jackson during the 45-minute tape.

She said that at that point she had "still liked Mr Jackson".

Last week Davellin criticised Mr Jackson, but when questioned by his defence said she had earlier lied about key details in the case. His defence argues the wealthy pop star is being exploited by a manipulative family over an act of charity.<!-- E BO -->



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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4326811.stm

[Snotty]

Saddam Hussein turning up to support his pop idol...who'd have thought? :nowords:

[4me2]

Brother of Jackson Accuser Admits Lying

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</TD><TD noWrap align=right width="60%"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="1%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="1%"></TD><TD noWrap width="99%"> Entertainment - AP</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



<!-- TextStart -->By TIM MOLLOY, Associated Press Writer

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - A 14-year-old boy who testified that Michael Jackson (news) molested his brother acknowledged under cross-examination Tuesday that the pop star didn't show him a sex magazine that the prosecution had introduced into evidence. The witness also said he lied under oath in a separate civil lawsuit.

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AP Photo </CENTER>
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Reuters </CENTER></TD></TR><!-- SlideshowPhotoEnd --><TR vAlign=top><TD width="1%"></TD><TD width="99%">Slideshow: Michael Jackson</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- SlideshowEnd --><!-- endif --><!-- AVStart --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width="1%"> </TD><TD>Jackson Accuser's Younger Brother Testifies
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The teenager, who visited Jackson's Neverland ranch for the last time in March 2003, became confused after Jackson attorney Thomas Mesereau showed him a copy of Barely Legal magazine dated August 2003. The boy had testified on Monday that the magazine was one of those that Jackson had showed to him and his brother.



Confronted with the conflicting dates, the boy said: "I never said it was exactly that one. That's not exactly the one he showed us."



He said he had looked at the magazine with District Attorney Tom Sneddon before it was presented as evidence.



Under further questioning by Mesereau, the boy also said he lied under oath in another case when he swore that his mother and father never fought and that his father never hit him.



"When you were asked if your dad ever hit you, you said 'never,'" said Mesereau. "Were you telling the truth?"



"No," said the boy, who is the only trial witness so far to testify that the molestation occurred.



Jackson's attorney also referred to a civil suit the boys' mother filed against a department store company over an encounter with security guards. The mother claimed she was sexually assaulted and the family was beaten by the store guards. The defense contends the suit shows the family has a history of filing false claims to get money.



"Did someone tell you to lie in the J.C. Penney case?" Mesereau asked.



"I don't remember," the boy said.



When Mesereau asked him to tell the jury why he lied under oath, the boy said: "I don't remember. It was five years ago. I don't remember nothing."



Jackson, 46, is accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy cancer survivor at his Neverland estate in 2003 and giving him alcohol. He also is accused of conspiring to hold the boy's family captive to get them to rebut a damaging documentary in which Jackson said he allowed children to sleep in his bedroom.



The 14-year-old boy became a crucial prosecution witness Monday when he testified to actually seeing molestation, saying he twice walked into Jackson's bedroom and saw Jackson masturbating with one hand while the other was in his sleeping brother's underwear.



Mesereau asked the boy Tuesday about an alarm system in Jackson's house that alerts the singer when anyone is in the hall outside his bedroom.



"So the two times you claim you saw Michael Jackson touching your brother in bed, that alarm went off?" asked Mesereau.



"Yes," said the boy.



When the boy testified about the alleged molestation on Monday he did not mention any bell or alarm system and said his brother slept through both incidents, snoring at one point.

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AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report.

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...ael_jackson_30

[4me2]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Jackson's accuser in witness box

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Jackson's lawyers have been trying to undermine damaging claims

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->The boy who accused Michael Jackson of molesting has come face-to-face with the US pop singer in court for the first time, as he took the stand.

Gavin Arvizo, 15, faced Mr Jackson shortly after his brother spent a third day testifying against the singer.

Star Arvizo, 14, who says he saw Mr Jackson assault his brother, admitted he changed his version of events because of nerves.

Mr Jackson denies 10 charges of child abuse and false imprisonment.

Mr Jackson's lawyers also challenged claims by the boys' family that the pop star held them against their will.

He faces up to 21 years in jail if convicted.

Key testimony

Wearing a blue shirt, Gavin Arvizo began his appearance in a courtroom in Santa Maria, California, by answering some basic questions like his name, age and educational background.

The boy then said "Yes", when District Attorney Tom Sneddon asked him if he recognised the defendant.

The boy, who was a cancer patient when he met Mr Jackson, also talked about attending a Los Angeles comedy camp hosted by comedy club owner Jamie Masada, who eventually brought him and the singer together.

Gavin Arvizo also testified about times when his father hit him, his sister and his mother and described what it was like to have cancer.

"I felt like there was a knife in my stomach," he said, adding that he used to hold a pillow to quell the pain.

Gavin Arvizo is later expected to tell the jury that he was molested on at least two occasions in 2003 by the pop star.

The accuser's testimony is crucial and could well determine the outcome of the case, the BBC's David Willis in Santa Maria says.

Arvizo 'nervous'

Earlier on Wednesday, Star Arvizo - the only witness to the alleged abuse - testified at court for a third day.

He said he saw the singer twice molest Gavin at the Neverland ranch.

Mr Jackson's lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, produced a transcript of an interview Star Arvizo gave to police and asked him if his account of the alleged second molestation had changed.

"It was actually three times," the boy said. "I was nervous when I did the interview."

Mr Mesereau asked him if "because you were nervous, you didn't get the facts right?"

"Yes," replied Star Arvizo.

'Escape' questioned

Mr Mesereau also suggested the Arvizo family were not held against their will at the ranch for nearly a month in 2003, as they claim.

"How many times do you think your family escaped from Neverland and then went back so they could escape again?" he asked

"I don't get the question," the boy said.

Star Arvizo later said he only considered the third departure from Neverland to be an escape.

The teenager also gave a contradictory account to that of his sister, who said Mr Jackson had given her alcohol.

The sister testified that she, her brothers and Mr Jackson had drunk wine in the cellar, but Star Arvizo said the pop star had given his sister vodka in the kitchen.

"It wasn't in the wine cellar?" Mr Mesereau asked. The boy said it was not. Correspondents say the defence team is seeking to portray Janet Arvizo, the mother of Mr Jackson's alleged victim, as someone who encouraged her children to lie in order to bring false allegations.<!-- E BO -->


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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4333647.stm

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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Jackson misses judge's deadline

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Michael Jackson has reportedly been admitted to hospital

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->Michael Jackson has arrived for his child abuse trial more than an hour late, angering the judge, who has threatened to seize his $3m bail.

Judge Rodney Melville issued a warrant for the arrest of Mr Jackson, after he failed to show up on time.

Mr Jackson's lawyer said he had been admitted to hospital with "a serious back problem" and was making his way to the court as quickly as possible.

Mr Jackson denies 10 charges including child abuse and false imprisonment.

If found guilty he could face a 21-year prison sentence.

The pop star has usually been at the court 15 or 20 minutes before the 0830 (1630 GMT) start of proceedings.

'On his way'

But on Thursday morning Judge Melville said: "I notice the defendant is not here."

Mr Jackson's lawyer Thomas Mesereau answered that he had been taken to a hospital, but added: "It's my understanding that he's on his way in."

Judge Melville rejected that explanation, saying: "I'm issuing a warrant for his arrest and forfeiting his bail.

"I'll hold the warrant for one hour to give him time to be in court. After that, I'll issue the warrant."

Mr Jackson arrived at the court at about 0938, but it was not immediately clear whether the judge had decided to confiscate his bail.

The court had been set to hear a second day of evidence from Gavin Arvizo, the 15-year-old boy who accuses Michael Jackson of molesting him at the singer's Neverland ranch. On Wednesday the boy said he slept in the US singer's bedroom where they watched internet pornography together. Gavin Arvizo said the singer had suggested that he spend the night at his Neverland Ranch, and get permission from his parents - which he did.<!-- E BO -->


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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4337623.stm

[Snotty]

I thought he'd done a runner OJ style......

[4me2]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Jackson 'on brink of bankruptcy'

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Michael Jackson was not in court to hear the legal arguments

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->Michael Jackson is a "spendaholic" with debts of $300m (£156m), according to prosecutors who are seeking to use his financial records as trial evidence.

They told the judge money problems may have led the singer to conspire to hold his teenage accuser and family captive in a bid to limit damage to his empire.

The legal arguments came a day after Mr Jackson arrived late to his child molestation trial dressed in pyjamas.

Mr Jackson denies 10 charges including child abuse and false imprisonment.

The singer was not in the Santa Maria court for Friday's hearing. The jury will also return to court next week.

'Billionaire spending habit'

Prosecutors told Judge Rodney Melville they believed the US singer had debts of $300m and faced liabilities of $400m (£208m) by the end of the year.

"We have more than reason to believe that Michael Jackson is on the precipice of bankruptcy," Assistant District Attorney Gordon Auchincloss said.

<!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Michael Jackson's lawyers say his current finances are not relevant

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->He described the singer as a "spendaholic" who "has a billionaire spending habit for only a millionaire's spending budget".

The prosecutors claim Mr Jackson's financial problems were the reason he allegedly conspired to kidnap Gavin Arvizo, the boy who accuses him of molestation, and his family.

They say the singer was desperate to protect his financial empire and so wanted the family to rebut damaging claims made in a TV documentary.

Mr Jackson's defence lawyer argued the singer's finances were "totally irrelevant" to the case, as the alleged kidnap plot took place in February 2003.

Teenager's testimony

The judge did not rule immediately but asked the two sides to reach a compromise on what was needed as evidence.

He did however rule that talk show host Jay Leno, a possible witness in the trial, may joke about the case.

Leno is only barred from speaking on his NBC Tonight Show about specific areas on which he may testify.

The judge also ruled out a jury visit to Mr Jackson's Neverland Ranch that the singer's lawyers had been seeking.

The legal arguments came a day after the jury heard 15-year-old Gavin describe the alleged abuse. He said he and Mr Jackson were in bed together at the singer's ranch and that, after asking the boy lots of questions about sex, Mr Jackson had put his hand down the teenager's pyjama bottoms and touched him. Gavin also described how he had consumed various kinds of alcoholic drinks - including vodka, wine and brandy - with the star.<!-- E BO -->


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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4342255.stm

[4me2]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Boy 'denied Jackson abused him'

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Michael Jackson was taken to hospital with back pain last week

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->The teenage boy who has accused Michael Jackson of sex abuse has admitted telling a former teacher he had never been molested by the US singer.

Fifteen-year-old Gavin Arvizo returned to the stand for cross-examination by Mr Jackson's lawyers on Monday.

Last week the court in Santa Maria, California, heard the boy's account of how the alleged abuse took place.

The singer, who denies all charges, was in court for the first time since his late arrival last week with back pain.

During intensive cross-examination by Mr Jackson's lead lawyer Thomas Mesereau, Gavin conceded he had told a former teacher that nothing inappropriate had happened between him and the singer.

"I told [the teacher] he [Michael Jackson] didn't do anything to me," the teenager said.

Hospital treatment

The BBC's Daniella Relph in Santa Maria said the cross-examination - after new evidence emerged over the weekend - was some of the most aggressive questioning yet.

Mr Jackson arrived on time for proceedings on Monday, wearing a red coat with a black arm band.

<!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Michael Jackson was threatened with arrest by the trial judge

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->

On Thursday, the singer triggered a threat of arrest by the judge when he arrived late, wearing pyjamas and slippers.

In a statement, Mr Jackson's defence said he had been taken to a hospital for treatment for a severe back problem after tripping and falling over while getting dressed.

Later on Thursday, Gavin Arvizo described how and when the alleged abuse took place.

He told the jury in Santa Maria that he was abused in the singer's bedroom at his ranch.

The teenager said he and Mr Jackson were in bed together and that, after asking the boy lots of questions about sex, Mr Jackson had put his hand down Gavin's pyjama bottoms and touched him.

He also described how he had consumed various kinds of alcoholic drinks - including vodka, wine and brandy - with the star.

On Friday, the court heard legal arguments in which prosecutors sought access to Mr Jackson's financial records, claiming he has debts of $300m (£156m) and faces liabilities of $400m (£208m) by the end of the year. Mr Jackson denies 10 charges including child abuse and false imprisonment. If found guilty, he could face a 21-year prison sentence. <!-- E BO -->
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4348183.stm

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[4me2]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Jackson boy defends abuse denial

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Michael Jackson denies charges of sex abuse and false imprisonment

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->Michael Jackson's teenage accuser has said he told a teacher the singer did not sexually abuse him to stop his classmates mocking him.

Gavin Arvizo, 15, has now finished giving evidence in the trial.

It comes a day after he admitted under cross-examination that he had denied being molested when asked by a teacher.

Last week the court in Santa Maria, California, heard the boy's account of how the alleged abuse took place. Mr Jackson denies all the charges.

Prosecutor Tom Sneddon asked Gavin on Tuesday why he had denied being abused when questioned about it by his former teacher, Jeffrey Alpert, in 2003.

<!-- S IBOX --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5></TD><TD class=sibtbg> All the kids were already making fun of me at school and I didn't want anyone to think it had really happened


Gavin Arvizo

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The teenager replied that on returning from his last stay at the singer's ranch, Neverland, school friends mocked him, saying he was the boy "raped" by Michael Jackson.

He said he had been in several fights as a result and so was called in to see Mr Alpert, a dean at his Los Angeles school.

In the stand on Monday, Gavin had admitted telling his former teacher that the singer "didn't do anything to me".

He explained on Tuesday: "All the kids were already making fun of me at school and I didn't want anyone to think it had really happened."

'Caught drinking'

Before Gavin concluded his evidence, Mr Sneddon asked him what he thought of Mr Jackson now.

"I don't really like him any more," the boy said. "I don't think he was really deserving of the respect I was giving him as the coolest guy in the world."

Mr Mesereau wrapped up his cross-examination by focusing on the allegations that Mr Jackson had given Gavin alcohol and kept the boy and his family at Neverland against their will.

The lawyer suggested Gavin had been caught drinking at Neverland while the singer was away.

<!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Mr Jackson's Neverland ranch is at the centre of the case

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->

He also asked why no-one in the boy's family had ever complained about being held prisoner despite numerous opportunities.

Gavin said he had not tried to escape because "I liked being at Neverland - it was like Disneyland". His mother had been more worried, he added.

The prosecution claims the family was held at the ranch for more than a month because Mr Jackson wanted them to make a video rebutting damaging claims made in a 2003 documentary.

Mr Mesereau concluded by asking the teenager if he had ever discussed the money he would make if Mr Jackson were convicted, the BBC's Michael Buchanan in Santa Maria says.

The defence team's central argument is that Gavin and his family invented the allegations of sexual abuse in order to make money from him.

Mr Mesereau's questioning on Monday showed up several apparent inconsistencies in Gavin's testimony.

He suggested Gavin had acted out of vengeance after he felt abandoned by the singer, a man he saw as a father figure and had called "Daddy Michael". Mr Jackson denies 10 charges including child abuse and false imprisonment. <!-- E BO -->


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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4351727.stm

[ABCMan]

the more i hear of this trial, the less convinced i become of jacksons guilt

i heared on the radio today that this same family tried tapping up jay leno too to the extent that he reported the incident to the police, aparently he is going to testify to that effect later in this trial.

[4me2]

the more i hear of this trial, the less convinced i become of jacksons guilt

i heared on the radio today that this same family tried tapping up jay leno too to the extent that he reported the incident to the police, aparently he is going to testify to that effect later in this trial.

Michael Jackson Judge Won't Gag Leno, Will Allow Jackson Finances Into Evidence

03/14/2005 2:00 PM, LAUNCH
LAUNCH Radio Networks

Michael Jackson and the jury in his molestation trial had the day off Friday (March 11), but lawyers for both sides were present as Judge Rodney Melville made decisions on several motions.



The prosecution wants to prove that Jackson was so worried that the unflattering documentary Living With Michael Jackson would leave him in financial ruin, that he allegedly forced his accuser and the boy's family to videotape statements rebutting the program. According to CBS News, Judge Melville ruled he will allow the prosecution to present only minimal financial evidence and then gave both sides until Thursday to reach an agreement about what financial records will be released.



In another motion, Judge Melville said he would allow comedian Jay Leno to make jokes about Jackson, even though the host of the Tonight Show may testify in the case. The defense wants Leno to testify because they say he alerted police after being approached for money by the accuser and his family. Leno told cops he suspected the family was looking to con money from a celebrity "mark." Showing his own comic flair, Melville said he won't stand in the way of Leno making his living, but he wishes he could rule that the comedian only be allowed to tell good jokes.



Judge Melville denied a media request that any videos submitted as evidence be released to the press.



In other news, Jackson spokesperson Raymone Bain said on Friday that the entertainer is still in pain from the back injury he is said to have suffered early Thursday morning. He is expected back in court Monday (March 14) when cross-examination of his alleged victim will continue.

Jackson faces 10 felony counts that could result in 20 years in prison if he's convicted. He is accused of giving alcohol to a then-13-year-old boy, molesting him, and conspiring to hold the boy and his family captive.

http://launch.yahoo.com/read/news/17839327

[4me2]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Jackson accuser 'vague on abuse'

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Police found adult material in a search of Michael Jackson's home

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->Michael Jackson's teenage accuser claimed he was molested five to seven times but could describe only two instances in detail, a policeman said.

Gavin Arvizo, 15, "could not articulate exactly" what happened every time, Sgt Steve Robel told the court in evidence.

Meanwhile, a US television network said it had details of a police interview with talk show host Jay Leno that cast more doubt on the boy's testimony.

Mr Jackson denies 10 charges, including child abuse and false imprisonment.

Prosecutor Tom Sneddon questioned Sgt Robel, lead investigator in the case, over apparent discrepancies in the number of times Gavin claimed he was molested.

Adult magazines

The boy testified earlier to only two molestations, but said he believed there may have been more.

Sgt Robel said: "In the first interview, he described two incidents in detail. He thought that it happened between five and seven times but he could not articulate exactly."

The officer said Gavin had been able to give detailed accounts of only two alleged molestations since his first interviews in July 2003.

The BBC's Daniela Relph in Santa Maria, California, says the revelation by a US television network that it has a transcript of a taped interview given by Jay Leno to police is another blow to Gavin's credibility.

<!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch was raided without warning

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->

On Tuesday, the teenager denied ever speaking to Jay Leno, but said he once called the comedian from a hospital and left a message on an answering machine.

In the police tape, Mr Leno apparently says he was telephoned by Gavin and that, during the conversation, he could hear the boy's mother seeming to coach him on what to say.

The defence is trying to build a picture of a mother using her children to get money from celebrities, our correspondent says.

On Tuesday, Sgt Robel told jurors that investigators had found a box of pornographic magazines at the foot of Mr Jackson's bed during a November 2003 search of his Neverland ranch.

Gavin, 15, and his brother Star have both said Mr Jackson showed them adult internet sites and magazines.

'Open mind'

Meanwhile defence lawyer Robert Sanger suggested interviews with Gavin and his family showed investigators were biased against the singer from the outset.

He quoted Sgt Robel as saying: "One thing I want to emphasise is you guys are doing the right thing here... I don't care how much money they have. He's the one who's done wrong... We're going to try to bring him to justice."

Mr Sanger asked: "That's not the statement of someone with an open mind who's trying to find the truth, is it?"

Sgt Robel said he had been trained to make such statements to reassure alleged victims.

It followed Gavin's final stint in the witness stand on Tuesday, when he explained he had denied being molested when asked by a teacher, because school friends had mocked him as the boy "raped" by Michael Jackson. He also said some of his underwear had been missing from a suitcase returned after his family left Neverland for the last time. <!-- E BO -->
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4355607.stm

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[4me2]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Star's home 'was pleasure island'

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Jackson's housekeeper said she saw children who seemed drunk

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->An ex-housekeeper at Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch has described it as a "pleasure island" where children ran riot and slept in the singer's bedroom.

Kiki Fournier, giving evidence in Mr Jackson's trial on child abuse charges, told the court how the singer had a series of close friendships with boys.

Gavin Arvizo, Mr Jackson's 15-year-old accuser, was polite at first but grew wilder the longer he stayed, she said.

The singer denies 10 charges, including child abuse and false imprisonment.

Ms Fournier said "children appeared intoxicated" on three or four occasions.

Once she served dinner to Mr Jackson and a group of children, "two or three" of whom seemed drunk, but she added that she never saw him give alcohol to a minor.

The testimony followed Wednesday's evidence from a policeman investigating the case, who told how Gavin Arvizo claimed he was molested five to seven times but could describe only two instances in detail.

Jurors were also shown magazines and videos alleged to form part of a collection of pornography Mr Jackson kept at his ranch.

<!-- S IBOX --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5></TD><TD class=sibtbg> Neverland became like Pinocchio's pleasure island without the parents


Kiki Fournier
Former Neverland housekeeper

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Ms Fournier, who worked periodically at Neverland from 1991 to 2003, said children who visited would run wild away from parental supervision.

Some would stay for weeks during school holidays, she said, eating what they wanted, staying up late to watch films and having food fights.

"Neverland became like Pinocchio's pleasure island without the parents," Ms Fournier told the jury.

"He [Michael Jackson] did let them have a free hand. They could get pretty rambunctious."

Room trashed

The court has heard allegations that Mr Jackson molested Gavin after giving him alcohol.

Ms Fournier told how on many occasions children would refuse to sleep in the bedrooms given to them, and instead chose to spend the night with Mr Jackson.

"Usually they'd get assigned some place to sleep, but sometimes they would stay with Mr Jackson," she told the court.

The former housekeeper said Gavin and his younger brother grew rowdier the longer they stayed, going through their room "like a tornado" before they left.

<!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Supporters still wait outside the California court to see the pop star

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->

Actor Macaulay Culkin was among some nine teenage boys Ms Fournier named as having developed close friendships with Mr Jackson.

The BBC's Michael Buchanan, at the trial in Santa Maria, California, says a police officer's testimony about a card found during a search of Neverland in November 2003 seems to bolster the defence case.

In the card, Gavin describes Mr Jackson as the finest grown-up in the world and thanks him for helping him beat cancer.

Earlier, the court heard evidence from a Los Angeles TV weatherman and comedian who befriended Gavin's family at a comedy camp.

Fritz Coleman described taking Christmas presents to the family's cramped one-room apartment.

He helped raise money for medical expenses for Gavin after visiting him in hospital when he had cancer, he said, but the family had not asked for cash.

He had found Gavin, his brother and sister "personable, polite and charismatic", he added. Cross-examined by Mr Jackson's lead lawyer Thomas Mesereau, Mr Coleman said he did not know Gavin's mother had won a large lawsuit against a department store and had solicited money from several celebrities. <!-- E BO -->
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4359809.stm

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[4me2]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Ruling due on past Jackson claims

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Mr Jackson's lawyers admitted settling two past cases out of court

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->The judge in Michael Jackson's trial has ordered a hearing to decide whether jurors can be told about past sex offence allegations against the singer.

Prosecutors want to call the alleged victims of two previous cases against Mr Jackson as witnesses in his current child molestation trial.

Both previous cases were settled out of court. Judge Rodney Melville will rule on the matter at a 28 March hearing.

Mr Jackson denies 10 charges, including child abuse and false imprisonment.

"Inflammatory evidence"

Details of the previous cases have never been made public - but last September the singer's lawyers admitted they settled two civil cases out of court.

In a 1993 case, Mr Jackson agreed to pay a boy he was accused of molesting a reported $20m (£10.4m). Police also learned of a separate case in 1990.

Defence lawyer Robert Sanger said Judge Melville would have to determine whether evidence from past accusers would be "so inflammatory as to be prejudicial" to the current case against Mr Jackson.

He also asked the judge to consider the risk of confusing jurors and causing major delays to the trial.

<!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Mr Arvizo was said to have accused comic George Lopez of theft

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->

Neither Mr Jackson nor the trial jurors were required to attend legal discussions at Santa Barbara Superior Court on Friday.

Judge Melville also agreed to allow testimony that Mr Jackson's teenage accuser, Gavin Arvizo, once accused comedian George Lopez of stealing his wallet.

Defence lawyer Mr Sanger said the boy met the Mexican comic at a comedy club but later had a disagreement with him.

Sanger said the boy was subsequently persuaded by his father to accuse the comedian of stealing his wallet and demanded $300 (£156) in return.

The defence team said the incident demonstrated a pattern of the accuser trying to obtain money from celebrities. "There is a good faith belief here that there are parallel patterns," said Mr Sanger. "When there is a falling out there is an accusation." Prosecutor Tom Sneddon sought to block the evidence, saying Gavin Arvizo had tried to resist his father's plan. The trial is due to resume on Monday.<!-- E BO -->



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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4363579.stm

[4me2]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Jackson 'pain' delays trial again

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Jackson needed help walking into the court building

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->Michael Jackson's child abuse trial was delayed for nearly an hour after the US pop star arrived at court late supported by aides and with a doctor.

Mr Jackson, who denies 10 charges of molesting a teenage boy in 2003, looked frail and appeared to be weeping.

The judge resumed the trial without explanation after 45 minutes of talks with the star's lawyers and doctor.

The 46-year-old singer arrived more than an hour late on 10 March and was reprimanded by judge Rodney Melville.

But on this latest occasion, the judge appeared to take no action against Mr Jackson.

'In pain'

The star, who had trouble walking, was led to the toilet during the adjournment after he arrived several minutes late in the courtroom in Santa Maria, California.

<!-- S IBOX --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5></TD><TD class=sibtbg> I'm very much hurt


Michael Jackson

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A doctor, wearing medical clothing underneath a baseball-style jacket, also arrived in the court and was beckoned by Mr Jackson.

Mr Jackson eventually left court about six hours later after two prosecution witnesses testified.

When asked by reporters if he were taking medication, responded: "Yes, by way of the doctor."

"I'm very much hurt. I'm in pain," the singer added.

Testimony

Before that, the 12-member jury heard evidence from Anthony Urquiza, a psychologist.

Mr Urquiza described "child sexual assault accommodation syndrome", in which youngsters become secretive, feel helpless and trapped and delay reporting acts of abuse.

He said changing stories and unclear details were consistent with the way young victims behaved.

Mr Urquiza also said few child sex abuse allegations turn out to be false.

However, under cross-examination by Mr Jackson's defence lawyer, he said he had not studied false allegations as he usually evaluated a victim only after criminal charged had been filed.

Prosecutors, who claim the singer gave his accuser wine from a soda can aboard a plane, also called to testify flight attendant Lauren Wallace.

Ms Wallace said she served Mr Jackson wine in soda cans on several occasions.

She said she was never on a flight with the accuser and his family. Mr Jackson's trial has entered its fourth week. The singer was indicted by a state grand jury in April on 10 charges of molesting Gavin Arvizo at his Neverland ranch.<!-- E BO -->


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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4370277.stm